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    Shanghai 21

    4.2 (2.1k reviews)
    ModerateShanghainese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Shanghai 21 Takeout or Delivery

    Shanghai 21 Photos

    Business Info

    SHANGHAI 21 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for kids

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    N2. Noodles with meat sauce (cha chiang mian)
    Sarah A.

    Came here on a Wednesday after work. Got seated right away. Ordered the noodles with meat sauce which is like the Shanghai version of the Korean jjajangmyeon. It was really good, I loved the noodles mixed with the sauce. It was slightly spicy, but mild enough for me to tolerate. Also had the soup dumplings which were good, the dumpling skin was nice and thin.

    Curtain
    Nancy A.

    It sucked that the whole place is cash only. They used to accept credit cards but not anymore. The food is still pretty cheap compared to other Shanghainese places with the fried rice at $13.50 when other places are priced higher than that for fried rice plates. I got Shanghai fried rice and they gave a lot in this place that can be shareable. It got shrimp, beef, eggs, carrots, corns, peas, and scallions. The shrimps were really big like jumbo shrimps in the fried rice. That's a good sign that you paid for what you got. I got fried tiny buns too and in my opinion they are better and tastier than the soup dumplings that break easily and are too hot to eat. The fried tiny buns have a tiny meat ball inside without any soup. It got sesame seeds to add that extra flavor. I always get these every time I come here. Ambience here is casual and people talking back and forth with waiters in a hurry to bring food and clean tables. There is always a wait in the entrance for a booth or table so prepare yourself for a wait when you come here. Even ordering takeout today made me wait 10 minutes but that was a considerable time. There are QR codes to access the menu while you're waiting for a table.

    P8. General Tso's Chicken
    Christopher R.

    Shanghai 21 absolutely earns its Chinatown legend status. The General Tso's chicken was crispy, saucy, and dangerously easy to finish, and the soup dumplings were elite. Full of flavor, perfectly slurpable, no notes. Now the plot twist. The pork bun was dry. Like, why am I chewing this much dry. I would skip it and emotionally move on. Also, bring cash. They are cash only, like most places in Chinatown, and yes, you will feel silly if you forget. Order smart and this place does not miss.

    Emily C.

    We were seated immediately despite the restaurant being very crowded, and served hot tea and tap water right away. They took our order, and we ordered a LOT of food. Lo mein, scallion pancakes, 4 different varieties of dumplings.... All of the food came out quickly and was delicious. I loved the scallion pancakes and lo mein, both were easily in the top 3 of either dish that I've ever had. Dumplings were good but didn't stand out to me vs similar restaurants. Once we got the final dish, service basically stopped for us. No one checked on us at all for the rest of the meal. We had to flag someone down for the check. FYI this place is cash only. Don't be like the young man I watched run out to an ATM.

    Johnny N.

    I sat in the booth in Shanghai 21 across from my big bro, and took in an ambiance that ticked many boxes for a legendary Chinese spot: Cash only signs littering the oddly colored green walls, traditional looking tablecloths, beat up tile floors and furniture, servers that don't really engage with you and whose 2nd language is english, and a huge overwhelming menu that could swallow you if you get too deep into it. I was ready for battle, as I read the reviews for this place that said it's almost impossible to avoid a wait, but at 5:42pm on a Thursday we walked right in and were seated in a mostly empty restaurant. We can both EAT, so we went with the following: Soup Dumpling with pork ($9.75), Fried Tiny Pork Buns ($8.75), Szechuan style wonton ($9.25), Spring rolls ($6.00), Scallion Pancakes ($6.00), Low Mein w pork and shrimp ($13.25), and Szechuan style beef ($24.50). Pretty cost efficient. Some major bang for your buck here. Inflation buster adjacent. The only thing that didn't blow me away was the Szechuan style beef, as it was just a little too heavy for the two of us... I was FORCING it down by the end. Everything else was phenomenal. Other than that beef, I truly feel like we ordered perfectly. If I could only order 2 things, it would be the end of the road for me as I couldn't decide, but If I could only order 3 things they'd be the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the low mein. Truly the big 3. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

    Fried dumplings
    Andrew M.

    This place is cash only! Came on a Monday afternoon for lunch and still had to wait, though that was probably because it was Christmas week and Chinatown was just flooded with tourists. There are a few booths and tables and doesnt seem too crowded once you sit down. Turnover is pretty quick though because they use disposable table cloths and each table just has a stack of them so they can just toss it away. Food is normal Shanghai style food with their Xiao Long Baos and various types of dumplings, buns, noodles, and rice. Not bad but nothing spectacular though.

    S1. Hot and Sour Soup
    Cecilia L.

    Even after all these years, this is still and forever my absolute go to soup dumpling spot in Chinatown! I can't believe my last review was 12 years ago - time flies, but the quality here hasn't changed. The tea that's served here is also very fragrant just the way I like it too! I remember use to coming here at least once a month.

    More noodles!
    Leslie D.

    **CASH ONLY** Been going here for years through all their name changes, and Shanghai 21 has the best soup dumplings in Chinatown in my opinion. Every time I come here, I have to get an order of the pork soup dumplings, the Shanghai style noodles with either pork or beef, and (maybe if I'm with others) an order of the scallion pancakes. The noodles and soup dumplings are required though! The noodles are so deliciously chewy and thick. I've never had noodles like that anywhere else. I'm also a weirdo and that I like to have some of the soup dumpling vinegar splash over the noodles as I suck them dry. Don't forget to bring cash!

    C6. Jelly Fish
    Nick S.

    A great restaurant in the heart of Chinatown serving traditional Shanghainese fare. Authentic dishes, style of cooking, and ambience really gives you the full experience. Don't forget to try their phenomenal dumplings as well - they have the best in Chinatown!

    D1. Soup Dumpling with Crab Meat and Pork
    Steph W.

    Ambiance (5/5): The small establishment was clean and had plenty of tables on a Saturday during peak lunch hours. Service (5/5): The service was quick and easy. A pot of hot tea provided! Food: This was one of many stops on a food crawl so we didn't order much. However, other patrons were ordering plenty of entrees that made us want to come back! Soup Dumplings (5/5): The pork soup dumplings were spectacular! The skin was nicely thin with fresh meat on the inside. The soup was savory and just the right amount. My only qualm was hoping that the pork quality was a little better as the inside was slightly congealed. This stood a level down from NanXiang but boy was it good! Spicy Szechuan Wontons (4/5): Not my preferred flavor profile but the wontons had a good portion of meat. Review 2021: Ordered at the restaurant: the crab and pork soup dumplings to go and eat in their one outdoor seating area. Food came out in less than 10 min. The skin was thin, savory soup broth, temperature just right. Tasted great!

    D1. Soup Dumpling with Crab Meat and Pork
    Jenny C.

    I have been coming here all my years throughout high school and it has always been my favorite place to go if I can't get into joe shanghai. But honestly now that I've been back I feel like the quality of food is way better than current joe shanghai. We got a lot of stuff this time other than just soup dumplings and all of them were super amazing especially the spicy bean curd- absolute fave and you MUST GET IT WITH THE PORK. I know it doesn't become vegetarian but you must- and also get a bowl of rice to serve with it. We got mostly the crab pork soup dumplings and that was so good- I prefer them over the pork soup dumplings for sure but this is definitely a must get. We ordered 3 orders of them along with 1 of the pork ones. The enoki mushrooms and the veggies were really good too along with the stir fried noodles with shrimp and we also got an order with chicken. The scallion pancakes were ok- not the best I've had but crispy enough. All of this for 28 per person was really good (including tip). We had around 6 people so we did super good! And came out really full! The seating was comfortable and there wasn't any big issues with service and it was easy to get a large table!

    Menu
    Lindsey B.

    DELICIOUS! They were very busy but we were able to get a small table with no wait. If I went again, I would've preferred to wait a few minutes longer for a large table due to how much food I got! We ordered dim sum style, wanting to try as many things as we could. There was also a tea service for the table which was a nice touch, especially in the cold and rainy weather. My favorite items were the old style lo mein, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes, but EVERYTHING that I ordered was delicious. I would recommend any of them! This was more food than we needed and we definitely packed some to go! All of this was under $60! Definitely recommend if you are around Chinatown!

    D13. Szechuan Style WontonSzechuan
    Julia S.

    Well run establishment with wide menu items. Our party of two particularly went for dim sum (we tried the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the scallion pancakes). I would recommend the soup dumplings, they were nice and hot and came out quickly. We opted for the ones that had crab on them and it was definitely heavy on the seafood flavor but in a good way. The Szechuan style wontons were sweeter than I anticipated and not spicy at all - I probably wouldn't reorder that. And the scallion pancakes were super crispy but didn't have the lamination you typically see in other restaurants. All in all, fast service, and yummy eats!

    spicy D13. Szechuan Style Wonton, D2. Soup Dumpling with Pork

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    Page 1 of 54

    Shanghai 21 Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shanghai 21

    Does this place accept credit card?

    Yes!

    Do you serve liquor or are you byob?

    All your dumplings are filled with pork?

    Nope I ordered one with mushroom and tofu and one with shrimp

    Is the line bad around peak hours?

    Hi. We walked in around 5:30 on a Sunday with no line. Next door at Wo Hop line was out the steps and on the street. Shanghai just as good

    Has everyone else experienced their mandatory "service charge" that they add after taxes on your bill? Thank you.

    No - didn't see that on my check

    What time should we show up (party of 10) to not wait for a table? (Thinking Saturday night dinner, ~6p?) called for a reservation and they do not take them.

    It's never that busy you should just show up this place is in the cut (hidden not easily seen) you feel me so people usually walk pass ... ENJOY

    Are credit cards accepted?

    American Express only.

    Are dimsum served during dinner?

    The dim sum items appear to be served during dinner. Enjoy.

    I don't see the Jjajang noodles on the menu for delivery. Is that dish available for delivery?

    Yes! We have.

    Do they have shrimp and leek dumplings?

    Our Leek dumplings are with Pork. If you want shrimp, you could try our watercress & shrimp dumplings or snow pea leaves w/shrimp dumplings. Please free to take a look of… Read more

    Do the have cart service here?

    NO! No push carts circling the restaurant. A printed menu only. This is Shanghaiese style - NOT Cantonese.

    View All 17 Questions

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    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings

    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings

    4.5(872 reviews)
    3.2 miMidtown East
    $$

    Great overall assortment. Central location. Staff was warm and inviting. Went with the pan fried…read morenoodles, shrimp, fried rice, chicken, soup, dumplings, the Chinese pancakes, and orange chicken. Great quality food. Fresh ingredients that were prepared well. Everything from plating to presentation was on point. Don't miss out on this great option for Chinese food.

    Chose this spot for a late lunch since it was close to our next stop. I wasn't quite sure what to…read moreexpect, especially being in Midtown rather than Chinatown. But it turned out to be a fantastic meal and fully satisfied my endless craving for well-made soup dumplings. The scallion pancakes were excellent, too, crispy without being greasy and packed with scallions. I had seen a lot of reviews praising the General Tso's chicken, but I've honestly avoided the Chinese-American dish for years. Too often it's overly sweet with a heavy batter. Still, after seeing plate after plate come out to nearby tables, I decided to give it a try. What a surprise. It was a huge portion of fresh white meat chicken with a light coating and a perfectly balanced sauce, served piping hot. We couldn't finish it (knowing we had a big dinner later), but I kept going back for "just one more piece" more times than I'd like to admit. Reservations aren't accepted for parties of two, but in the late afternoon it wasn't busy at all, we walked right in with no wait. Would absolutely come back.

    Photos
    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings
    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings - Young Chow Fried Rice

    Young Chow Fried Rice

    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings - Hong Kong Hot and Sour Soup

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    Hong Kong Hot and Sour Soup

    Little Alley

    Little Alley

    4.0(620 reviews)
    2.6 miMurray Hill, Midtown East
    $$

    Went here after work with a reservation. Not too crowded and tables were far enough apart…read more Drinks were a good price. Must get the cauliflower & the rice cakes!! You can skip the soup dumplings here.

    We didn't make reservations at Little Alley, just showed up around 7:30, but with just a short wait…read morewe were able to grab a table. The hostess and our various waiters (they all seem to assist all diners) were all very friendly and welcoming. We love to try new things so we had to check out the Little Alley Pig Ear appetizer, and I also wanted to try the Shanghai Crispy Eel. For entrees the husband ordered the Eight Delicacies in Chili Sauce and I got the Soft Shell Crab with Rice Cake. Pro tip- their appetizers and entrees are hefty, with two apps and two entrees we were stuffed at the end. The food! The pigs ears were our favorite thing we tried- they well seasoned and so unique I've never had anything quite like it. We didn't read the menu carefully and were surprised it was a cold dish- I imagined the crispy was from being fried but it's just the texture of the cartilage! It's probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed the new experience and the flavor and spice were great. The crispy eels were also tasty, though with such a large portion split between just two people I found the sweetness of the sauce a bit much. I started dipping them in the chili oil from the ears and enjoyed that, but I'd still only get the eel again with more than 2 people to split it. For entrees the 8 delicacies was tasty, all the meat was nicely cooked and tender, and the sauce was pleasant. I wasn't super wowed by this dish compared to some of the more interesting things we tried but it was a solid well-cooked entree. The fried soft shell crab over the rice cakes was delicious and again a very unique experience. I found the sauce a tad sweet but I think I was still a little over the eel dish so I may have been extra sensitive. That being said, it was fun and delicious and I'd eat it again! I can't remember the cocktails we bought, I know they were good but the food definitely distracted us! Little Alley was great overall and I'd love to go back to try some dumplings; sadly we were just too full at the end of the meal!

    Photos
    Little Alley - Interior shot

    Interior shot

    Little Alley - Poached Dumplings in Chili Oil (6)

    Poached Dumplings in Chili Oil (6)

    Little Alley - Inside, interior, indoor seating, ambiance, vibes

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    Inside, interior, indoor seating, ambiance, vibes

    Cheli - I love the pork belly. The veggies were a little undercooked, but it still tasted pretty good.

    Cheli

    4.2(487 reviews)
    1.2 miEast Village

    My first time here and it was definitely worth the visit!…read moreTucked away on St Marks, it's on the 2nd level and the entrance isn't on street level Awesome decor here with a good blend of vibes and music. You order everything on an iPad but the servers will answer any questions and they come double check your order as well. The food and presentation were amazing. Beggars chicken and the beef came on fire and the chicken was a good presentation. Awesome spot for dinner or lunch and good for groups as well. I'll definitely be back

    It was Lunar New Year and a few of my asian boxing friends and I decided to celebrate since this…read moreyear is the year of the horse and sheeps are supposed to be lucky. This was the first time I hung out with these ppl outside of boxing class so I was very excited. I did get a bit overserved with sake and other stuff and resulted to being an inconvenience. Haven't hung with them since, which I guess is what it is. Some ppl will make a decision off of one incident and others will have grace. My friends were unfortunately the first type of ppl. Anyways, regardless of all that, just talking food and drink, there was a decent wait even when everyone in our party was there. They will not seat you until everyone has arrived by the way. The drinks were limited from a variety standpoint so we just share lots of sake. Foot was pretty good but nothing to write home about. Personally do not think I would seek this place out, but if I happen to be in the area and I am hungry, I would. Also, shout out to Nelson our server who was super sweet.

    Photos
    Cheli - Emperor Qianlong's dynasty

    Emperor Qianlong's dynasty

    Cheli - Wone soaked chicken

    Wone soaked chicken

    Cheli - Qianlong's Favorite Eel

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    Qianlong's Favorite Eel

    Shanghai time - Soup dumplings

    Shanghai time

    4.1(156 reviews)
    2.8 miMidtown West
    $$

    I stumbled upon a new years until lunar new year dine in promotion (on social media) for either…read moretheir pork soup dumplings or pork pan fried buns for 1$ each. 4 dumplings for 4$ (1 promo per person). The food was incredible and made super fresh to order. My favorite was the pan fried buns - they fry the top of the bun instead of the bottom with an amazing crisp. Hot soup is prone to gushing out of the bun, so consume with caution so you avoid burning your tongue. 100% recommend getting those pan fried buns. The soup dumplings were also good, but not as memorable as the pan fried buns (shengjianbao). They do the noodles pretty well as well - the only disappointment was the tofu crab sauce dish that I ordered. The tofu/sauce felt bland and lacked flavor. Despite that, the pan fried buns just rocked it outta the park for me so much I still say it's 5 stars in my book. The interior was also very comfy for dine in - they started using ipads for customers to order from - and the pictures helped a lot in the ordering process. Love the deals, love the flavors and price - especially in this part of town!

    Decided to give this place another try and man....its just consistently mediocre…read more Service is much much better this time. Very attentive but the food is still lacking. Pork soup dumplings: 3.5/5 these aren't bad. A little bland, strong msg taste. The vinegar improves it a lot. Pan fried soup buns: 3/5 just ok. Also strong msg flavor. The vinegar also helps with flavor. Pepper beef stir fry: 1.5/5 this has no beef flavor at all. It's so bland. It tastes only of soy sauce and oyster sauce. Basil chicken: 1.5/5 this is the same as the beef dish. It's hardly any discernible flavor. I don't taste the basil and it only tastes like soy sauce and oyster sauce. Crab roe noodles: 4/5 this saved the meal for me. Not the best crab noodles I've ever eaten but it's decent compared to everything else. This restaurant closes a little later than other Chinese restaurants around the area. Otherwise, I would have avoided.

    Photos
    Shanghai time - Interior

    Interior

    Shanghai time - Shanghai Time Special Panfried Pork Soup Dumplings 4Pcs

    Shanghai Time Special Panfried Pork Soup Dumplings 4Pcs

    Shanghai time - Salted Crispy Chicken(N) (N)

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    Salted Crispy Chicken(N) (N)

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Steamed shrimp dumplings.

    Tri Dim Shanghai

    4.0(628 reviews)
    4.6 miUpper East Side, Yorkville
    $$
    Full bar
    Fine dining

    Love love the food ! The crispy rice soup and design your entree are always terrific !…read moreThe service is always excellent Its my fav restaurant on the upper eastside

    I generally gravitate to Chinatown-type restaurants, but with InKind credits to redeem, we ended up…read moreat Tri Dim Shanghai. And I'm glad. We'll certainly return! Shredded crispy duck is lean, crisp (living up to its name) and in my estimation, perfect! A half order is $33 and comes with crepes and what I guess is thin-cut celery and hoisin sauce. Our other two dishes merit maybe four stars. I had high hopes for prawns with black bean sauce and minced pork, but there was little pork and the dish was under-seasoned. Beaten egg white, a component of the sauce, was almost raw and when separated from the black beans, runny and unappealing. When I inquired about 'vegetarian delight,' our server suggested creating our own dish. Four sautéed vegetables for $16. I went with bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms and fried tofu. I asked for a flavorful sauce. I believe we got garlic, but it was too subtle, not garlicky enough.. Service is on-the-ball. Ambience is lovely. And Saturday night, hours before the dreaded snowstorm, the restaurant was busy. Reservations recommended.

    Photos
    Tri Dim Shanghai - Red cooked short ribs pumpkin casserole

    Red cooked short ribs pumpkin casserole

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Shanghai braised duck appetizer is a perfect way to start the weekend!

    Shanghai braised duck appetizer is a perfect way to start the weekend!

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Red Cooked Short Ribs in Hang Chow Style 红烧牛仔骨

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    Red Cooked Short Ribs in Hang Chow Style 红烧牛仔骨

    Shanghai 21 - shanghainese - Updated May 2026

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